The Theme’s the fhing e queer Pride season is upon us, and the question being asked in each city is, “What’s YOUR Pride theme?” Come again? When did Pride celebrations and parades all start coming out with a “theme”? Did we all watch too much Queer Eye and decide that like all good parties, a Pride celebra- tion has to have a theme? This phenomenon completely slid under my radar screen. And yet, there they are. A High school English for me was back in the age of the dinosaurs, but I vaguely recall (as we read our stone tablets) that the “theme” was the mes- sage that the writer in question was trying to get across. In other words, the theme encapsulates the message. So is that the pur- pose of the Pridethemes? I suppose in the early years of Pride, we didn’t used to have themes — because the theme I did a quick Google search of pride themesin cities around the country and in Europe to learn more. As line after line popped up on my computer screen,'I was stunned at how evocative thethemes are. How about Boston: “Pride in Progress. . .What’s Your Fight?” Or Los Angeles: “How Do You Wear Your Pride?” where the idea is to askwhether you are out and proud by putting a pic- ture of your partner on your desk A Yet another friend suggested as a theme the slightly more tactile, “Women Lovin’ Women ls Finger-Lickin’ of Pride was understood: survival and acceptance. Basically, every Pride march — before they evolved into the wonderful festi- vals and weekend celebrations we have now in many cities and towns — had the theme of “We’re here, we’re queer, get used to it!” Those were the heady, scary, exhilarating old days. Before we had gay marriage in Massachu- - setts and civil union in Vermont. And, on the down side, before we had Christian conservatives taking over statehouses and the White House. These days, everyone basically knows that we’re here, we’re queer, and we’re not going away. So now themes add the political message to parades that have become in many cases more celebrations of who we are (true pride) than demands for recogni- tion and the right to live as the people we are. In other words, ’ now the themes the thing. Good.” at work, by bringing your parents to the parade, or by wearing butt- less chaps. Atlanta’s theme: “Unite and Act” sounds stirring. Until you realize, “Wait a minute — where’s the gay in that?” Taken out of context, it could apply equally well to a screen actors’ guild union rally — or an anti-gay Family Research Council rally. New York City offers “Equal Rights — No More No Less.” Now that could apply to any civil rights issue, but it con- fronts the “special rights” claim of those on the other side head on. San Francisco’s Pride theme this year is “Stand Up, Stand Out, Stand Proud.” Just reading it makes you puff out your chest a little. Even Paris, France, one of the most apolitical groups of queer folks you’ll ever find, has a really strong theme this year: “Couples, Parenthood, Equality Now!” Mon dieu! Farther afield, little Leicester, England has a groovy l960’s theme: “Summer of Love — Peace, Passion, and Partnerships.” Which immediate-, ly presents two things straight folks like to NOT imagine about us: hot blooded passion between members of the same sex AND the commitment of same sex couples. Way_to go, Leicester! The most boring Pride theme I found is from our neigh- bors to the North. Torontofs theme this year is the not-too- rousing “25 Years and Count- ing.” Whoo-hoo! Yawn. But then, they’re Canadian, so what can you really expect? They're not exactly known for flair — at least, not the non-French ones. After I looked at actual themes, I did an informal survey of what other folks might want to see as Pride themes. One person suggested “Gay Rights = Family Rights.” Another offered the hard-to-fit-on-a-poster “Proud to Be Your,Queer Brothers, Sisters,- Neighbors.” Yet another’, not too seriously perhaps, suggested the slightly more tactile “Women Lovin’-Women Is Finger-Lickin’ Good” and the more Village People-esque “Proudly Honoring Our Gay Men In Uniform.” I liked — but Disney would not — a theme that you couldn’t get out of your head: “It’s a Small~.(Gay) World, After All .” A Democrat friend liked “Lesbians Never Tire of Licking Bush.” Another liked _ “Gay Bashing Is a Weapon of Mass Distraction.” Or there was my favorite: “Mess With Us and We’ll Dress You Funny.” It’s probably a good thing that we thinkgabout Pride themes now. It means we’ve come along way, baby. Because, thematically speaking, we now can say “Gay Marriage Rocks,” and we’re “Proud to Be... LGBT.” V Columnist Kevin Isom is the author of It Only Hurts When I Polka and Tongue in Cheek and Other Places, available at book- stores and online. He may be reached at isom0nline@aol.c0m or KevinIsom.c0m. Disability Income Insurance helps protect your FINANCIAL HEALTH. Are you covered in case an injury or lllrlcss keeps you out of work? 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